Just Posted: Canon EOS 5D Mark III review

Just Posted: Our Canon EOS 5D Mark III review. The 22.3MP 5D Mark III appears to offer similar specifications to 2008's 5D Mark II. However, sensor and processing developments, along with a host of user-interface revisions mean the Mark III is a much more capable camera. It also gains a greatly-improved autofocus system. So do these changes justify the considerably higher price tag? Read our full review to find out.

I've got my 5d3 since a week, had no chance to shoot a lot so far (next week'll be much better as I travel to Scandinavia for a photo tour). But what I can tell from first trials is that I do not regret my huge investment. It looks like the 5d3 is simply an amazing allround FF tool, I am in particular impressed by its low light AF performance with a good lens and high ISO IQ (first trial with a 70-200/2.8 II and a 50/1.4 during a late evening barbecue).

I also appreciate its 22 moderate, big pixels, because I want to do a lot of landscaping with it during the next weeks. And I know from my 7D that with such small pixels diffraction degrades sharpness visibly in at f >= 10. No engineering can overcome electromagnetic wave physics with this sort of traditional optics that rules the camera world.

By the way: after all those sometimes nasty comments I'd like to thank Lars Rehm and dpreview for their great review, I appreciate your thourough work!

For what concerns Dynamic range, I see the depth of D800's shadows and it is really amazing, but mostly produces flat and uncontrasty images (in my experience I often tend to "close" the shadows instead of opening them), instead the Dinamic range of the 5DmkIII tends to better cover highlights, which is quite important in shooting landscapes and overcontrasted images (mostly common in real life conditions, excluding studio shots). From My point of view 5DMkIII is the clear winner here, for evey kind of shooting condition, except Studio shots, in which D800 is the real King (or if you prefer Queen ).

Very good job Canon! Nice job Nikon! (Disclaimer: I am a Canon and Oly shooter)

I have read carefully the review, and I've seen the jpeg and raw samples at different sensitivities... Reviewers tend to say the D800 is very good for shooting landscapes, but what I've seen from the samples is that at f:11 diffraction is very visible and affects crispness, resolution and sharpness (why resolution charts are shot at 4,5? Is it a correct aperture for most landscape shooters?) . I can't see the point of shooting at 36 Mp for most landscape professionals and amateurs if you can't reach f:11, to enhance depth of field.

I have seen a few examples where the diffraction is largely mitigated by the judicious use of sharpening. Another way around it is to do what generations of landscape photographers have done before, use forward tilt on a tilt shift lens to increase depth of field.

IMHO, it is about time lens manufacturers improve their overall quality and at the same time, set reasonable prices. All of the pixel peepers can crow about who's the top dog in the camera market, but if the quality of available lenses is not up to the challenge, then all of this is just a waste of time. I for one am sick to death of ridiculous prices (and poor performance ) of most lenses. I do not understand why it should cost as much as a top tier camera body every time a "good" lens is released. C'mon... How can the camera makers hope to sell their newer models if so many of us cannot afford to "upgrade" our lenses to get the performance we pay for?

I don’t understand why there is so much negativity around here... Both Nikon and Canon are producing some of the best and most sophisticated cameras... Users should be happy that they have a choice and either way they get the best. These cameras don’t need endorsements from anybody.

I would rather like to see the reviews on “the users” of these cameras… Both Canon MK III and Nikon D800 deserve it!

Because "those" are not interested in taking photographs who are a bunch of adolescents think that photography is about an equipment race. Not to mention that they probably have no connection with their inner world.

I use Photoshop CS5 , Camera Raw 6.7why the size of 5D3 DNG is larger than the raw file???I shoot Medium size raw , the size is around 15MB~20MBbut ALL the DNG file is 40% larger than raw(I didn't embed original raw file)Anyone faces the same problem?

It seems that Nikon has chosen an offensive strategy to gain market share. Specification and pricing of D800 and D3200 are indicating such a strategic objective. Canon developed this camera for the current customer base, and their strategy seems as to maintain MS and ensuring continuous income. Sooner or later Canon may have to come up with a counter strategy against Nikon. (Whatever the expert opinion is, 36 MP is more than 22 MP, and this is the new top of the line spec.) For us customers this means new great spec and better priced cameras coming.

and which one is the ferrari and which one is the Rolls? well if you mean by associating canon with ferrari, I would get 5d mark III anytimes....:) rather than end up with something that is really dull and boring, and besides, ferrari, is a babe magnet, hmm well I think I will stick with canon in this case...:)

The advantages move way beyond the ability to shoot on your SLR - the wealth of high-speed lenses and shooting accessories that make EOS photography so remarkable can be used in shooting video. Where interchangeable lens video cameras cost thousands of dollars, with the EOS 5D Mark II their operation, including HDMI output, is simply an added bonus to a remarkable camera.

The EOS 5D Mark II has a sophisticated AF system consisting of 9 user-selectable AF points, along with a total of 6 additional vertical and horizontal AF assist points. With Live View Function on the EOS 5D Mark II, you can zoom in and navigate the composition 5x or 10x normal size.

I couldn't agree more with him. For video the 5DmkIII is a total non starter. It's lack of true 1080p resolution combined with the lack of an uncompressed HDMI out put it squarely behind the D800. It may be good at low light and show less moire (although the D800 + mosaic engineering filter eliminates moire). But for 3500 dollars, the 5DmkIII simply fails to keep up with the competition all which will undoubtedly offer better effective resolution and your choice of HDMI recording.

i ' m not fanboy of any manufacturer i have the 2 bodys now in my studio for my employees my personal camera is Hasselbladnikon is much more sharper but quality of picture are similar to aps-c sensor canon pictures are very clean and i m talking about image quality at lowest iso ( raw and jpeg )

at high iso raw in nikon is much more sharper and much more noisier at high jpeg canon lose a little bit of sharpness ( reducing noise ) but pictures are very clean and color are great long way better from nikoncanon processing jpeg file much more better from nikon it's very easy to see that but pictures loose a little bit of sharpnes nikon is much better in dynamic rangefocus , buffering speed ,tracking ,continuous shooting frames per second , handling , body and desighn ,screen color ,holding in hand.... 5d is much better

D800 had a slight green screen color on video mode the internal system recording is better on canoncanon is a little bit soft from d800 but you can add some perceived sharpness and picture still clean Noise , moiré , recording time , Audio Control, headphone jack ,ALL-I Intra frame recording mode , aliasing , higher bitrate...advantage of the 5d 3the d800 advantage is the sharpnes and the clean HDMI output

I suspect that to be true,I have owned a 7D and I got rid of it because it would not hold against a 1Ds or a 5D at pixel level. I suspect that a D800 must be much better than a 7D, but it is a long way to match the other cameras...

I find it silly to give such a complex instrument an overall score - and even sillier to put any importance on that figure.

For example, I do a lot of photography in concerts. For me the reduced shutter noise of the 5D Mk III is most important, wheras I don't need more than 3 frames/sec. A sports photographer won't care about the noise, but will want 10 frames/sec.

I would also challenge the claims of many commentators here that dpreview favoured the Canon. Virtually all other independent tests done on comparing those two cameras give Canon a big advantage in the high ISO range department. And that's also my finding after comparing both cameras myself.Needless to say, you only shoot Raw with a machine like that.

I'm upgrading to the 5D MK III because of it's versatility. I do concerts as well, and also some interior shooting but what I love the most is landscapes. Now, at the moment there is no other FF camera under 3500 USD that can do well in all those areas.

It's all about usability in different tasks rather than who beats who.

I totally agree with you saying it's rather difficult to put a score on a camera. However, I should say I don't own any of them, but I've tested both. To me 5d III feels much better in the field than d800 which is the queen in the labs...

It would be great if all "dpreview is biased, and I'll never come here again" people stopped spamming the comment section. I read a text on Wikipedia written by one of its members, where he/she said that if any user is going to leave Wikipedia as an editor for any reason, the user will most probably do so quietly. I think that is true also here...

Well, I decided to take the trouble and line up the ratings in an image editor, to attempt to extract the detailed figures. Below are my findings. I have used a uniformly weighted ranking of Poor=0 to Excellent=14. As others have noted, the D800 did indeed score slightly higher. DPR has responded to previous poster by stating that the scales have different starting points. If this is true then their ranking figures are deceptive. On the merit of the actual numbers, I would say that the rankings are not credible and the overall equal ranking appears to be a fabricated result.

It is not a math mistake. DPR doesn't want anger all the Canon fans and/or Canon themselves so they made them equal. It is that simple. An honest review would have put the 5DIII in the high 70s and the D800 in the low 90s. DPR just couldn't have that. After all they still need to get review samples from Canon.

Going back to the comparison test between the MarkIII and the D800, I still wonder how on earth DPR has managed to establish the D800 noise level advantage in the high ISO test. Clearly the black cap of the Baileys bottle on right gives a fine indication how the different cameras handle the color noise. Push the ISO to 800 for example and have a look the area around the " imported " sign. The New MarkIII clearly showing an advantage here, followed by the old and still great MarkII, despite the use of that cheap $90 lens in comparison with the $500 Nikon 85mm f/1.8G lens !!! Surely the superior lens in this comparison ! What about that for a start??? Then if you replace the Sony with the heavyweight Pentax 645D and look the same part of the frame then you can appreciate even further the enormous achievement of the new and the old full frame Canons! Bea ......utiful !DPR claims in the final conclusion that the image quality of the old Canon MarkII is still better than the new one ;)

Until rumors of the D800 started to surface I was seriously considering making the switch from Nikon to Canon. Once the high MP rumors were confirmed, I was still awaiting Canon's response. We now know that Nikon offered up a revolutionary step forward, approaching medium format quality at a surprisingly low price point, whereas Canon answered with a modest lower MP evolution at a higher price. Comparing the detailed ratings raises a number of questions. How on earth DPR is able to conclude that D800 represent a value point of 9, 1 point below average, and only 1 point higher than Canon, stands out in remarkable fashion. Overall DPR has lost significant credibility with this review. What are they going to do when the D600 comes out? Even if it's a fantastic camera, they will have to continue the farce. I suggest that DPR immediately retract the ratings for both cameras and spend some time reviewing their rating criteria.

"I'm a Canon user (oh, Nikon, forgive my lie !); I used to appreciate so deeply low noise in high ISOS when the D700 appeared; I believe with all my heart in DxO scores, and I think that the D800 is THE revolution..., so, now, DPreview has broken my heart !!!! ".

I think that DxO scores are quite deceiving, absolute numbers only tell part of the story, you need to look at the response curve. The D800 added DR is in the blacks, with an extremely shallow slope. In the real world shooting, the gain is much lower than you would expect (if you really want the details out of this range to prove the added DR, expect a big noise boost). With ADL extra high, D800 has no gain and much almost linear response in the highlights with sudden clipping . You might have a more difficult time controlling the blown out whites to fine details region, probably looking more quantized. The curve is a lot less pretty than from the 5D, I expect much more postprocessing required, pictures not as pretty straight out of the camera, and the more you mess with the curves the more you risk quantization.Finally if you look at the curves when HTP (Canon) and ADL (Nikon) are both off, there is virtually no difference between them (actually the 5D is marginally better).

The problem with DPR rating the 5D3 equally with the more innovative, and lower priced D800 is that it sends a signal to companies like Canon that it's OK to release modest upgrades to products using older sensor technology and increase prices by $1000.

And it sends a signal to Nikon that there's really no reason to push the envelope and offer high quality, future proof products at fair prices if doing so only gets them average ratings from review sites.

DPR can do as they please as it's their website, but in this case it's consumers who will likely suffer if in the future companies no longer bother offering cutting edge products in response to the lack of recognition of such efforts. In other words, if mediocre and cutting edge products are reviewed as equivalent, why should vendors bother making upgrades special?

I agree with you 100%, there should be some "innovation rating" or something. It is important not to deceive the readers though. Innovative might not mean better suited for many. I really think that Canon has hit the sweet spot for current demand, more sensible choice than Nikon, but the D800 will live longer (as somebody has mentioned already here), just like the 1Ds MKII. Old technology but still a great camera (for studio and low ISO work), because of its innovative sensor at the time, mind blowing in 2004.

Well in general sense, the D800 uses a much more innovative sensor, while the 5D shows a much more conservative upgrade. He has expressed himself in extreme terms, but I find his message valid. I have been a Canon users for may years and I do like Canon products. I prefer Canon over Nikon mostly because of the snobby atmosphere surrounding Nikon (generated by the users, not the brand), but I do envy the fact that Nikon has more heart, a tab more generous to their clients. Canon is strictly down to business.

I'd like to ask all the individuals bashing either the 5D, the D800 and DPreview rating if they had a in depth hands on experience with both cameras and the ones that do who has the qualifications to make a judgment

DPreview has al long standing experience and expertise, professional tools and repeatability for their tests. If you have to argue their verdict, you should first post your credentials and then solid evidence.Nikon made an innovative camera and underpriced if, Nikon had to at the cost of cannibalizing their D3x marketWhy?here is a simple example: I just spent 4 days in the historical center of Rome. Thousands of people, I saw a ridiculous number of 5d MK II (maybe 100), and not a single D700 (although a drooled at a D4!). I have also seen photographers taking portraits, using the 5D, at least 4 weddings, 5D again, a runway at the Spanish Steps, do I need to say which camera was used?Is the 5D better than the D700? No. But probably better specified for the most.

I really wish that DpReview will stop mentioning other camera brands (not just Nikon) when reviewing on a single product.It gets on my nerve that they are trying to compare Canon to Nikon, which I believe is completely off-topic. I don't care what D800 has (I bet D800 is a wonderful camera—it's just that I don't have any investment in Nikon as of the moment). If the title of the review is "Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review," then that's what I want, not some rivalry between two companies.Please DP Review, focus on a single product (and it's predecessor if applicable) but not on some other companies' merchandises.

Yep, maybe i could imagine just that.....considering the kind of people we have in our modern society, err, most probably some pyromaniac fanboys from either side will burn down DPR office in Seattle... :-P lol

Yes indeed, I wonder what kind of reviews we can expect from DPreview for the EOS-1D X and D4 especially after the first one has been chosen by TIPA Awards as Best Digital SLR Professional: Canon EOS-1D X ...I feel that this kind of diplomatic approach from their side ( dpR) is not tactically healthy and can destroyed the credibility of the host...

Bla Bla Bla. Canon 5D Mk3 or a Nikon D800, I would be happy either way. The Pentax K-5 rated higher than both of these cameras. Does that make the Pentax a better camera because it "rated" higher? DPReview have provided us with more than enough information to make up our own minds.PS if anyone buys either a 5D mk3 or Nikon D800 and then changes their mind, I'll take it off your hands for you. Thanks.

sadly I see nothing here that my Sony NEX-5N can't equal or better at 1/6th the price. IQ, high ISO, etc. Surely all that money should get you more than a few frills. I'm guessing that photographers who actually use their cameras to derive income and not purchase them as status symbols will likely stay with the previous model. Just 1 man's humble opinion, of course. Hopefully that's still allowed :) ?

Build quality, weather sealing, ergonomics, customizability, AF system, surely there are other things that the Canon does better. If it's worth the extra outlay depends on how much money you're prepared to spend. But people who buy cameras as status symbols don't buy a Canon 5D, they buy a Leica or a wood edition Sigma SD1.

only an amateur with limited photographic experience, or basic needs can make such a statement. This is a professional tool, your NEX is not. If you cannot see the difference it is out of your league. Nothing to worry about, just do not post such comments or you look silly to most.

well armandino, that is only your ill-considered opinion. Any camera can be used in a professional setting, it's the person behind it that counts. Perhaps you're someone who spent all that money and needs to justify the purchase of his "professional" tool. And where do you get off telling me where and what comments I may post? Appears to me the only "tool" in this case might be you behind the camera. Oh, and by the way, I earn money with a Canon 7D and a Nikon D200, as well as my NEX, so I stick by my comments.

patcam, you can post anything you like, still, if you do not understand why the 5D has much more to offer and you cannot see it is your problem, and postings like the above and looking silly is too. I though I would lend you a favour getting you to realize that. I am not going to waste any time explaining to you why your comment is way off. Maybe one day you will find out yourself, if not, good for you, you probably do not need better. Btw, 7D and D200 are crop sensors too thus you are just confirming your limited experience. Glad to hear you earn money with enthusiast level cameras (I have owned a 7D too and quickly got rid of it, must be spoiled by my 1Ds Mk III image quality). I have seen wedding photographers shooting with P&S cameras too, it is not illegal making money with non pro tools, but professionals should know what they are working with.Go say the Hasselblad people that they are even dumber, their camera is way overrated and underspecified, buy Sony mirrorless instead!

I agree with the review , i own and used both cameras , the Canon 5d mark3 and the nikon d800 E.I receive the Canon prior to the Nikon , and i was expected a lot from the Nikon .But when i tested it and compared it with the canon , i was very disappointed , even if the pixel count is higher , the overall image is less sharp and needs a lot of sharpening to equal the ones of the Canon , this was a surprise which i did not expect . The colors of the Canon are a lot nicer and closer to reality , the ones of the nikon are faded and at my taste tinted slightly overexposed and not as good and deep as the Canon.Even when i blow up the resolution of the Canon file to equal the nikon one , it still have an edge over the Nikon .What i say will certainly surprise many people but this is what i think based on my own taste and experience with both cameras .

DPReview has changed now. I am very disappointed at the biased 5D3 review. DPR lost their credit at all. I start reading DPR since 2007 and it has been my favourite photog site until 2012. D800 win in too many ways:

Doesn't matter childish or not...it helps people to learn so much from the good, bad n ugly side of it.

The more variety of debates going on, the better it is...for DPR as a company and for others to learn how to behave better.

Just imagine one day, every single member decides to leave DPR for good bcoz it's too abrasive..i bet Richard Butler and all his colleagues will be weeping uncontrollably, coz they have to shutdown DPR, go unpaid and hence jobless. Of course, that isn't going to happen to em..so they r a very happy bunch of people bcoz all of us have decided to stay...noobs, trolls, beginners or experts...and we learn so much from everyone too..it's true!

Plus they (the staff) are trying to keep us here for good..u can c 4 urself wth their recent paid review job offer by them :-)

I really love DPR..its "Dynamic Range" of people's character and knowledge here is too wide to go unappreciated..just love it!

5D3 or D800? I use both Canon And Nikon systems. I agree with Ken Rockwell, if you don't need 36 MP, the 5D3 is the better choice, primarily because it has a much better u/i. For me its the biggest no-brainer in the history of mankind.

I don't think I will look back on this choice when I'm on my deathbed and wish I had chosen differently. Ha ha.

hi alli cant believe dpreview give the bad screen of d800 same rating of the 5d3....and more d800 win the movie review hahahhahaha ( Noise , moiré , recording time , Audio Control, headphone jack ,ALL-I Intra frame recording mode , aliasing higher bitrate...advantage of the 5d 3JPEGs files at high iso (12800) lose 10% of sharpness but reduce 70% of noise...jpeg in 5d 3 at 12800 is better than d4 and less noisethe build quality is better ,weather sealing 2 time betterautofocus and handling ,the only advantage of the d800 over 5d3 is the sharpness and the clean HDMI output and Dynamic rangesorry dpreview but your credibility is gone from 4 last years d700 get credit score over 5d mak ii in your website...why ? the reason is the good movie or the good resolution in d700 ...maybe for LiveView .... sheersssssssssssssssssssssssss

The reputable Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) chose the Canon 5D MarkIII as the BEST Video Digital SLR over its rival D800 ..so seems to me that Dpreview has been examined the both systems rather superficially.....

Memo to Canon: 617 comments and counting. Dear (Canon) engineers, (Canon) marketing people etc, read all the pros and cons people post here after the score DPR has given, judge for yourselves and take note, so that the next "5D" can reach a score of 99% in the DPR (thus giving a difficult time to the guys in the yellow camp). It's possible, but only if you convince (Canon)Senior Management until 2050 to give up 1.5% profitability for this line of products. Good luck with that and cheers! :)

Dear Canon - Pay minimal attention to the nonsense that appears here. Rest assured that the vast majority of people who buy and use your products are interested in the results the the prodcuts produce. They are not interested in handicaping an imaginary and pointless horse race.

Dear Canon - Please add the previous fiscal year financial report in each and every camera box (compact, DSLR etc) so that we will all have a common understanding about "basic" finance and laugh together reading it, knowing that regardless the report content the cameras will still sell by the bucket (so, Dear AbrasiveReducer, you are right). And that the real nonsense is elsewhere - only you (Dear Canon) really know where. P.S.: also applicable for Nikon & the rest. :) :) :)

Having owned / used 30D, 50D and 7D (which I still use / backup camera) all I can say the 5D MarkIII (my first Full Frame) is truly amazing!D800/E is probably also an amazing camera (but I've invested a lot in CANON lenses).

I have seen so many posts about people complaining about the lack of pop up flash and infrared wireless. Is it only me thinking that this makes it closer to a pro body rather than a semi pro? I have owned a 7D while I shoot mostly with 1Ds bodies and occasionally 5D MKII. I find that if I need off camera triggering infrared is just a step away from being a gimmick, radio is the way to go. I fully cheer and endorse the choice Canon made, I really like the structural integrity of this prism housing. This is the choice for both Canon and Nikon, when it comes to shoot with a pro camera ( really, pop up on a Nikon D2, D3, D4?)

I agree that off-camera flash gives far better results and radio triggering is preferred, but as the D5 MkII and D800 are not solely aimed at professionals and probably will be bought mostly by photo-enthusiasts, it would be a more versatile camera with on-board flash.

Only things that a pop-up flash could compromise are weather sealing and production cost

That is true, and it is exactly the Canon statement: this is a fully professional tool, if photo enthusiasts would like to step up, then welcome in the professional world. No "portrait", "landscape", "sport" modes, and with it no pop up. To me Nikon choice seems a little unclear: a true pro camera dedicated to studio photography, for which speed has been clearly penalized (not as all rounded as the 5D MK III), yet with a cheap pop up flash compromising its structural and weather sealing integrity.

The lack of pop up allows for a lower profile on the D4, a camera that already is pretty tall. It also allows more room for the mirror box while maintaining 100% view. If one can have a 100% viewfinder and still have a pop up for emergency fill flash, and for a useful off camera trigger without need for an expensive accessory (although one can be used in place of the pop up), and have all this for $500 less that the competition, while providing a superior sensor, three crop modes with 1.2X offering 5fps with still higher resolution than the competition, and still with excellent weather sealing and a proven history of a system that performs in harsher environments than the competition, PLEASE tell me how you find any advantage, considering the "structural integrity" of which you speak has a crack that allows light to enter the metering area, albeit not much. The pop up isn't on your camera for only one reason, higher profit.

Again, I have extensively used the 7D with 4 Canon speedlights, for real work get a proper radio system. Drop your camera with your flash up or on shear, even if closed. That to me is structural compromise and it will probably not be weather sealed too until you get your expensive repair done. Given the monster size of pro bodies, I do not believe that adding a bit more would be an issue if worth it. Btw these cameras also have 100% viewfinders (to be anal the 5D has also .71x , magnification, the D800 .7x, while the 1Ds has the largest at .76, and quite the filling experience I have it and I love it). And the D800 only shoots 4 fps in FF mode, not 5.

5 fps in 1.2x crop mode, about 24mp compared to 22. Read more closely.Given that the D800 seems to have superior build, as illustrated by the much more durable shutter, and even with the flash is probably better sealed against moisture, based on past performance of the two manufacturers, and can probably operate at much lower temperatures, again based on history, I don't see where you are finding all this comfort. You got hosed by Canon.... again. And you seem to be good with that. But don't try to drag down a superior product to make yourself feel better. Some people enjoy getting hosed. Nothing wrong with that. You have a very capable camera. You just paid way too much to get it. It's worth about $2500, based on the competition.

First all my original post was not about comparing the 5D with the D800, I am not sure why I got dragged down in this discussion. I never tried one and my experience is that it is silly bragging and arguing if you have no physical experience with a device. Too may times I found specs on paper not reflecting the final word. I was and I still am and I will be convinced of my original statement, which is based on extensive personal experience: I endorse Canon choice of a robust camera without flimsy mechanism that reduce the overall toughness of the camera body. Basically an uncompromised choice and to me it is a quality statement and I like it. It does feel like a solid compact pro body. And again I said that the D800 will not go past 4 fps at FF, 1.2x is not FF. The 5D is more all rounded performer in my taste, with 6fps being sufficiently high while, based on my experience 4 fps is just quite not there. 5 fps @ 1.2x is a bit of an odd duck and still noticeably slower.

That said, I am a bit surprised that this camera get the same final overall score compared to the Nikon D800 which has a more advanced sensor (higher res and lower shadow noise), pop-up flash and focus illuminator for a better price (and similar or slightly better video mode).

With some careful processing and downsampling (after slight NR) the D800 image to 22Mp (then slight sharpening), the Nikon surely has an advantage in image quality (tested this with several images).

The only things that I see where the 5D MkII is better are handling (e.g. control dial, custom settings) and fps..

I've been a professional photographer for 35 years, but have now retired from commercial work. When looking to buy a camera I would only look at image quality versus cost. The Mark II set a very high standard for quality and was about $2700 for the body if I remember correctly. So far I have never looked at one of the images from my 5D Mark II and felt any need for increased resolution or any other improvement.

Regarding the fancy metering, what are you doing other than averaging the light in the scene and then choosing an exposure value that will either blow the highlights or block up the shadows? I remember the old days when the film came with a little paper that said "open shade - 125th @ f8" - and by god it worked.

It's aggravating that Canon has jacked up the price of the 5D by almost a thousand dollars. Unless this model has a far superior sensor, which is likely not the case, just buy yourself a Mark II while you still can.

I totally agree with John, I am a 5D2 owner, and I personally do not see any incentive to upgrade to Mark 3. 5D3 is a excellent camera, however, it might be a good choice for the new full frame shooters.

Jahled, I think it is not a issue of money, it is just a personal favor.

i think it depends what your shooting. The sensor appears quite a bit better at high iso and the motor drive and improved af will be valueble to alot of people.

that said 3500 dollar is a lot for this category. @jahled most pros do have around a 3 grand body if not mor like 2800 dollar one but you have to remeber were by no menas rich we need to see a real advantage to upgrade

Jahled: Even if a pro or anyone could afford the upgrade, could still think if it's worth it.

Kodachrome: It also depends on the local pricing. In Greece the 5D III is a whopping 900€ more expensive than the D800... Now, if you're a new full frame user, with no previous investment in any system, which would you choose?

Why would dpreview be biased?? What reasons would they have? To avoid a storm of comments and e-mails if they rate Canon less? I'd call the present situation a storm of comments (500+ is less than 24h). And what do politics have to do with camera reviews? I see absolutely no connection to political correctness whatsoever!

It seems like many of the commenters here believes "more MP=better camera=higher rating" and that it's unthinkable that someone would prefer less MP. In the review of D800, it is stated that in ordet to get 36MP of details:

"Flawless technique, fast shutter speeds and top-shelf equipment (particularly lenses and a tripod) along with a low ISO are requirements not options".

If it demands so much to get 36MP of detail, together with the huge files and massive computer power needed to edit them, I don't see how higher resolution unquestionably equals better sensor.

I've always thought, not seriously though, that dpreview is biased against Nikon.

Both are fine cameras. That said, I feel this time Nikon hit a home run and this should be reflected in the scores. I shoot with Canon myself, but find the Nikon better and incredible value.

Of course you can make fine pics with both. But why review any cameras at all anymore if that is the sole criterion. The sensor in Nikon is leaps and bounds better. And no, I do not mean the pixel count.

The problem I see with the whole back and forth thing is that Nikon essentially skipped the 20-30Mp range and with all help from Sony released a camera.

Canon, on the other hand, has developed, from the ground up, almost every sensor they've ever used and now are 3-4 generations in to an industry standard setting camera. ... long before Nikon could even hold a candle to what Canon was doing.

Personally I don't care and never will. The argument is perfectly laughable at this point and totally meaningless. Since no one remembers much history these days, proper respect will never be given to Canon for their advancements in digital imaging technology.

Perhaps DPR recognized that and felt the rating was on par based on fact and history and a sterling reputation among industry pros.

Every one complains about every thing. I, after reading DPR for a while now, am convinced that there aren't many photographers who will EVER be happy ... no matter what any one does.

But I don't think Nikon is better this time either. Not for me. I don't want to work nor save those huge files. 22 MP is more than enough IMO. That's why 5D III lacks USB 3. It does not need it! Regarding HDMI signal and JPEG softness: they are addressable issues and will be fixed with a coming FW update I am sure. AF and bps performance are not issues you can change with firmware updates and they are much valuable for me! Interesting to compare 5D III AF performance with D4's in the "real world".

What a load of meaningless, pointless junk. Less of this crap please, it serves utterly nothing.

The review was excellent, and all the storm was caused not by you pretend Canon shooters, but by a multitude of Nikon fanclub muppets for some completely anal reason.

Ultimately, it's a camera; and as has been pointed out previously, comparisons are complete crap given they are suited for completely different jobs. Who gives a damn ultimately? I'll be be a happy bear with Canon just as others will be with Nikon. It really doesn't matter much in life. Appreciate your partner or something, get some fresh air etc

Apart from video capability I felt as a whole the D700 was a better camera than the 5DMk2 in terms of useability but not so in absolute IQ. Fast forward to 2012 the table has reverse, the 5DIII is a better camera than D800 is useability (even the AF is superior on the Canon which is unthinkable since 2007) but absolute IQ with the right lens in controlled situation in good light the D800 is little better. I also believe the cut off with regard to useable lens resolving is 22MP, any higher edge softness will become pronounce. On the D800 even with a good lens only the centre 60% of the image actually resolve better detail than a 22MP sensor, the 20% around the edge is a lot worse than the edge sharpness of the 5DIII.

Sorry have to disagree. If your saying that a sensor that requires a tripod to get the best out of it is good your mistaken. I've shot with both and really like both of them. In my practical opinion one is better for studio work (D800) the other is better for out door work (EOS 5DMkIII). Both score the same depending on what and how your shooting. It's down to the photographer.

Following on my previous comments. Both cameras are incredible tools and both will provide the user with capability probably beyond their abilities.

The issue here really is not that one is better than the other but the apparent effort by DPR to be politically correct and fudge the rating in Canon's favor.

These reviews are in my view the best to be found and professes to be points based and not reviewer or sponsor biased. What the readership wants to see is fairness and impartiality in the rating system which in this instance does not seem to be the case.

Explain the details of the scoring so everyone can see how the two cameras compared. Surely in the interest of impartiality and the credibility of DPR this should be totally transparent.

Years ago, I saw these two kids arguing whether a Pioneer car stereo was better than a Sony. This went on and on and finally the salesman said "If you don't like it, don't buy it!"

As I look at this childish drivel I ask myself, who has been hurt by this review? I guess if I followed sports I would understand the importance of ranking everything instead paying attention to what it can produce.

Another thing that works against Nikon is third party hacks like Magic Lantern plus Cinestyles and video editors like Final Cut are design to make 5DII and 5DIII files look better for grading.Users of Canon C300, C500 and even Arri prefer to intercut video with footages from 5DII/III as seen in many hollywood production. I think poor moire & aliaising handling will rule Nikon out for future big budget cinema now that Canon can eliminate moire and ailiasing in its video.

Bang for a buck? $2500 - "where to sign?"$3000 - "I have to think about it really hard"$3500 - "Forget about it!"

Of course it's an amateurish point of view, but I will wait for Mk III bodies to be readily available for purchase on popular websites and see how Mk II price will hold. Even now Mk II looks pretty much appealing for $1300 less, and it theoretically still should go down unless the old stock disappears.

But the bottom line for me - if I weren't invested so heavily in Canon, I would go for D800.

I have found DPR to be up to now reasonably impartial but this review is unfortunately biased towards the 5DIII. Every other review I have read on the web very strongly emphasizes the D800's groundbreaking technology over the 5DIII. Looking at DXO's sensor data the D800 gains the highest score of any and significantly outperforms the 5DIII.

Both are really great cameras with great image quality, however in a side by side comparison the D800 should come out ahead of the 5DIII, if only for dynamic range and video connectivity and value, everything else being equal.

Perhaps if you think of DPR only giving value to photography, the D800 is far the best option, but both reviews are giving video the proper weight (though DPR is aimed primarily at photography). The bars do not count handling, so only here (and not taking other aspects) you already have something to balance the general score.

Remember there are more things involved, like handling, usability, operability, "flowingness", versatility in a lot of situations and support (also support in the video industry), where the 5D Mk III is far better backed up (for now). Also, as I mentioned below, they spent many days with both, so I can't think of them betraying our "faith" on this website.

If I could buy one I would go for the D800, but I agree with their conclusion and score.

dprview still hasn't explained why if you add up the bars in the conclusion page, the D800 gets a higher bar score, yet the 5DmkIII misteriously gets an equal total score. what criteria is giving more bars more weight?

they got some explaining to do because the graph doesn't match the score.

I think the review was not biased. You have to have in mind that they actually used both cameras for many days. I would say biased if not having the camera or having it for little time, but they had it for a good amount of days and used it indoors, outdoors, in-lab, etc. That's why I don't believe it was biased. Anyway, I read the review again and the conclusion again and again, and then added the Nikon D800 for bar comparisons and both the text and the score are true to the reality, and show clearly were the D800 advantages are. I myself, if were an established and experienced filmmaker, I would still more likely to stick to the 5D Mk III (it's not about the camera itself only, but the history in filmmaking behind it), but if not or had photography at the same level as or higher than "movieing", would to the D800.

Good to note, though, that even for filmmakers looking for a FF camera upgrade that is already "fitted in" in the pro video industry, the D800 can definitely be a watershed

Just one more thing. Dpreview is first a camera gear website . That being as it is here you will find in the gear oriented discussions in the forum first and photography related discussions second . Please for all those who complain that dpreview give equipment to much importance remember this when you enter here . If you want those discussions related to photography they have the proper forums for these type of discussions.

Do not understand the fighting here! For any interested buyers it is the most comfortable situation ever: you can choose between Canon and Nikon without any bigger drawbacks in IQ...- take a D800, if MPs is important for you and ISO 1600 is enough- get a MK3, if ISO 3200 is useful for you and if you hate transfering 36 MP files- get a D4 or 1Dx, if you want more speed, a more constant high dynamic range using higher ISOs and a adult building

@marike: ...the D800 offers the highest DR, yes, but onky at ISO 100-200...above 200 the D4 offers more DR and more color depth, too. If you take city pictures with shadows using some tele sometimes, then you are better with a D4 or 1Dx...

@marike: ...the D800 offers the highest DR, yes, but only at ISO 100-200...above 200 the D4 offers more DR and more color depth, too. If you take city pictures with shadows using some tele sometimes, then you are better with a D4 or 1Dx...

First I applaud Dpreviews reviews . Indepth reviews are totally necesarry in order to be able to discern the present state of the art in Digital SLR design . Their rating system is a whole another story. Doesn't it sound weird that they would give a camera that in their own eyes renders mushy Jpegs in all Iso and has destructive noise reduction the same ratiing as a camera they saw is the state of the art in detail rendering without any of the problems of the mark III ?Everybody should reach their own conclusions of this review .

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